


First Mission

by ladysorka



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 03:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladysorka/pseuds/ladysorka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The SGC has a rule.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Mission

John secured his his vest and eyed Lieutenant Ford. He was practically bouncing.

"A little eager, Lieutenant?" John asked.

"Yes, sir," Ford said, grinning. "I haven't really been through the gate on a normal mission since I was assigned to the Lost City project. They're a lot of fun, sir. You get to meet some really interesting people."

"I'll take your word for it," John said and grimaced. Other than walking through to Atlantis, his trips so far through the Stargate hadn't exactly been what he'd call "fun".

"Interesting is just what I'm worried about," McKay said as he stuffed seemingly random items into his vest's pockets. "When people say that they never mean men who discovered a new aspect of physics or women in tiny bikinis. No, it's 'you'll love her Rodney, she's really interesting!' and then next thing you know, your blind date is trying to get you to walk over hot coals."

"People set you up on blind dates, Doctor McKay?" Ford asked. He wasn't laughing, but John could see it in his eyes.

McKay glared at him. "I'll have you know I was very popular in college. My genius was very inspiring."

"Sure, Doc," Ford said, not failing to hide his grin. John could see it, actually. He remembered what the engineering department had been like when he was in undergrad. The people like McKay were practically revered.

"Firewalking's just simple physics, McKay," John said, picking up a P90 off the rack and doing a quick safety check. "I would've thought it was right up your alley."

McKay turned his glare on John. "Oh, of course you've done it. Adrenaline Junkie."

John smirked at him. "We'll turn you into one yet."

"The Kelnarans are a simple people and have been friends of the Athosians for many generations," Teyla said. She'd been watching the three of them avidly - John got the impression she thought people from Earth were pretty 'interesting' herself. "They will not make you walk over hot coals, Doctor McKay."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Come on, people," John said. "Time to go."

They walked into the staging area and waited as Chuck dialed the address. The Stargate activated with an explosion of blue that John wasn't sure he'd ever get used to, and he took a deep breath. Time to see what this galaxy was like when it wasn't trying to kill him.

***

Apparently, it was mind-numbingly boring. He smiled at the Kelnaran leader's daughter and kept his eye on the other villagers, but there didn't seem to be any threat. Teyla was giving them an apparently ceremoniously long introduction and Ford was quietly chatting with one of the villagers, who was smiling widely and occasionally laughing. John hoped Ford wasn't making promises they couldn't keep.

He poked at the pastries the Kelnarans had kindly provided them. Teyla hadn't eaten any of them so he wasn't sure, but McKay had already wolfed down five and he seemed fine. John picked one up and nibbled at it. A creamy berryish flavor burst onto his tongue and he finished it quickly.

"These are really good," John said. McKay nodded his agreement, stuffing his sixth into his mouth.

The Kelnaran's leader's daughter (Jenna? Jaida?) smiled at him. "Thank you. I made them myself this morning."

"Jatta is a truly gifted baker," the Kelnaran leader said, proudly. Apparently the long introduction was finally finished.

"You're lucky to have her," John said, smiling politely.

"Now, Friends of the Athosians, what may Kelnara do for you?" The leader folded his hands in front of him, suddenly all business. John and Teyla settled in to get to the meaty negotiations, fruit and grain for medicines and salt. After an hour, John had a massive headache, and he envied Ford and McKay, who were chatting with the locals and playing Minesweeper, respectively.

Finally, the leader put his palm flat on the table. "That would indeed be a fair trade. Now, we must simply...." The villager Ford had been chatting with darted up and whispered in the leader's ear. He grinned and laughed, turning to look at John. John had a bad feeling about this.

"Of course! How could I forget? You must participate in our sacred trust ritual before we can agree to a trade." The leader beamed at John. It was vaguely disconcerting, and John had a strange urge to run away.

McKay looked up from his tablet, where John could see he'd switched to Sudoku. "Sacred trust ritual?" he asked, slowly. John wondered what McKay knew that he didn't.

"Oh, it's nothing dangerous, I assure you. You must only show you trust one another with a kiss." The leader wouldn't stop smiling.

"A kiss," John repeated.

"One mouth blending with another is the surest display of trust we know," the Kelnaran leader said, still smiling.

"Well," John said. That was simple enough. He turned to Teyla.

Teyla raised a hand and smiled in apology. "I'm afraid I do not count, Major. Among the Kelnarans, I am a representative of the Athosians."

"Right," John said. He looked around, but Ford seemed to have vanished. He sighed. "McKay."

"What? I'm not doing it!" McKay looked up at John, his eyes wide, and quickly glanced back down at his tablet and put a six in the wrong place.

John took the tablet out of his hands. "Just one little peck, and then we get to take this fruit back to Atlantis and the mess gets to try their hands at making these pastries."

McKay sighed. "Fine."

John stared at him, feeling awkward.

"Well, get on with it already."

John closed his eyes and leaned forward, lightly letting his closed lips brush against McKay's, which were chapped and faintly sticky from the pastries. He pulled back immediately and turned to the leader. "Are we good now?"

The leader frowned. "That was hardly a proper blending."

"Oh, for...." McKay said. He grabbed the front of John's vest and pulled John towards him, bringing their mouths together again before John could even think to protest.

John flailed and put one hand on the bench behind McKay and the other on McKay's waist to avoid falling to the ground, but he couldn't avoid falling into McKay. McKay didn't budge, though. He just pushed back into John and kissed him, shaking John's shoulder until he started kissing back. John started to relax into it. McKay was disturbingly good at this.

McKay had just brought his tongue to the party when John heard Ford say "Okay, got it!"

John tore his mouth from McKay's, feeling slightly breathless, and turned to look. Ford was holding a camera and grinning at them. Teyla and the Kelnarans began to laugh.

"That. What?" McKay said, and John was relieved that he sounded a little breathless too.

"Sorry, Doc," Ford said cheerfully, "but we have to prank every newbie on their first peaceful trip through the 'gate. SGC rules."

McKay was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. John turned to Teyla. "You knew about this?"

"Lieutenant Ford approached me soon after you asked us both to be on your team, Major." She smiled wickedly. "It was one of the reasons I suggested the Kelnarans be our first mission."

The Kelnaran leader beamed. "We're always happy to help someone play a joke."

John put his head into his hands. He was never going to live this down.

"Well, the berries were worth it," McKay said, and lightly put his hand on John's thigh underneath the table. John didn't move it.

***

Five years later, the picture was still sitting framed on John's desk. Rodney's hand was clenched in John's vest and John looked like he was about to fall on his ass, but the kiss was obviously real, and it made John smile every time he looked at it. Lorne was the only person who had ever asked about it, and all John had to say was "first mission." Lorne just laughed and said he'd have to remember that one. 

The picture stayed, even though it would be the perfect ammunition for anyone who wanted John gone. It reminded him of more innocent times, and of Ford, before everything went wrong.

And it made Rodney blush every time he saw it.


End file.
